Godzilla: King of the Monsters – Over Two Hours of Non-stop Monster Action!
The new story follows the heroic efforts of the crypto-zoological agency Monarch as its members face off against a battery of god sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient superspecies, thought to be mere myths, rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity’s very existence hanging in the balance. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Arjun N. comments, “Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a one of kind slamfest, despite some bland plot points and characters. The excellent cinematography and special effects really immerse the audience into the ring.” Will C. adds, “Godzilla: King of the Monsters is over two hours of non-stop monster action! I loved watching the extraordinary action scenes where giant monsters battle each other. The best part of this movie is definitely the special effects, which are amazing!” Ethan P., wraps it up with, “I love this movie so much because of the cool creatures that lurk in this make believe world. This is one of the best movies I have ever seen.” See their full reviews below.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
By Arjun Nair, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 17
Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a one of kind slamfest, despite some bland plot points and characters. The excellent cinematography and special effects really immerse the audience into the ring. All fans of summer monster movies or just summer blockbusters, in general, must check this out on the biggest screen possible.
The film follows secret agency Monarch as its members face off against a battalion of god-sized monsters, or kaiju, including Mothra, Rodan and the ultimate mastermind – the three-headed Ghidorah. These threats leave humanity’s very existence teetering towards impending apocalypse. But sometimes, one must fight fire with fire. Their only hope relies in the mighty kaiju Godzilla, who anyways intends to kill these monsters for dominance.
The ensemble cast of Monarch includes many A-list actors including Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Ken Watanabe, Ziyi Zhang, Bradley Whitford and Sally Hawkins. All of them give their best, but mediocre a screenplay really gives the human scenes a somewhat lethargic feel. The family drama between Kyle Chandler’s Mark Russell and Vera Farmiga’s Emma Russell feels out of place, and it really just adds nothing to the overall plot. Thankfully, Milly Bobby Brown adds a complex perspective with expressive acting and a signature defiant attitude. Bradley Whitford is the most memorable character here, with his wit and well-timed comic relief. Charles Dance, as Jonah Alan, is a great addition as the veteran actor gives his all as this menacing new threat. It’s really all in the kaiju here, with their unique designs and characteristics. I quite enjoyed Ghidorah’s banter between each of his three heads.
Michael Dougherty spectacularly directs with great roaring fights and exploration of lore. He pays homage to the best of the old Gojira movies. However, I miss the more small-scale feel of Godzilla (2014). Gareth Evans really added something new to the monster movie genre with that. But, there are tons more fights here, which should alleviate fans’ complaints about the lack of fights and monster screen time in the previous movie. The soundtrack helmed by Bear McCreary roars, paying respect to the original themes that started it all. My favorite scene is a climatic moment, and that I can’t spoil. It explains most of the surrounding lore and contains one truly chilling scene from Ken Watanabe’s excellent acting. McCreary’s track elevates this to one of the best scenes this year overall.
The message of this film is about the commitment to family, whether from the Russells or between fellow Monarch crewmates. I give this film 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 10 to 18, due to intense monster fights and language. The movie releases in theaters on May 3, 2019, so check it out.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
By Will Chuhta, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 9
Godzilla: King of the Monsters is over two hours of non-stop monster action! I loved watching the extraordinary action scenes where giant monsters battle each other. The best part of this movie is definitely the special effects, which are amazing!
The action starts with a flashback to the previous Godzilla movie from 2014, but you don’t need to have seen that film to enjoy this one. The plot revolves around a new communication technology that allows scientists to control ancient monsters such as Mothra, Rodan and of course, Godzilla. Unfortunately, some bad guys steal this technology and try to release the monsters from captivity to destroy the planet, including the terrifying Monster Zero. The good guys have to decide if they want to take the risk of helping Godzilla defeat Monster Zero, potentially making him stronger than ever before.
My favorite part of this movie is a hilarious joke about a fortune cookie, delivered by my favorite character, Dr. Ishiro Serizawa. He’s played by Ken Watanabe, who continues his role from the previous movie. Millie Bobby Brown, who you may recognize from Stranger Things, gives an excellent performance as the daughter of two of the scientists who built the technology that communicates with the monsters. There are lots of exotic locations, including Antarctica, but the special effects are the most important part of this movie, particularly the monsters and especially Godzilla, who frequently shoots something like a giant blue laser beam from his mouth.
Parents should know that there’s a lot of bad language, and lots of people are killed in various battles, so younger kids are advised to stay away. Also, be warned that there’s a very scary preview for the movie IT Chapter Two that plays before the film. So if you don’t want your kids to see Pennywise the evil clown, make sure to come just as the movie is starting. Godzilla: King of the Monsters doesn’t really have a strong message, it’s mainly action, action, action! Don’t forget to stick around for the post-credits scene that sets things up for the next film in the franchise: Godzilla vs. Kong.
I give this movie 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18. Some adults will like it too, although my dad didn’t think it was very good. Godzilla: King of the Monsters opens in theaters nationwide Friday May 31, 2019.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
By Ethan P., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 10
I love this movie so much because of the cool creatures that lurk in this make believe world. This is one of the best movies I have ever seen.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters is about a family trying to save the world from creatures called The Titans. Godzilla is the main Titan in this film. The movie focuses on the wife, Dr. Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga) and her ex-husband Mark Russell (Kyle Chandler). Both of them are trying to save the world, but the villain veteran Jonah Alan (Charles Dance) tricks Dr. Russell into unleashing all of the Titans. She unleashes one of the oldest and strongest, a three-headed monster named King Ghidorah. King Ghidorah and the rest of the Titans that are awakened destroy numerous countries. It is Godzilla’s duty to stop them.
Something cool that I like is that famous actress, Millie Bobby Brown, from Stranger Things, plays Madison Russell who is Emma’s and Mark’s daughter. She has a very important role in this movie as she tries to fix what her mom did wrong. The special effects and sound effects are so good that it feels as if you are actually there, live, and can see everything. Watching Godzilla fight with King Ghidorah kept everyone in the movie theater on the edge of their seats. At the end of the fight, one of the Titans has a special connection with Godzilla and something very interesting happens.
The moral of this movie is that Godzilla is the one and only Boss! Also, it reminds us that family comes first and the monsters second, because Dr. Russell does not really pay attention to Madison when she becomes too fascinated with the Titans.
I give this 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to ages 10 to 18, plus adults. Know that there are some curse words and some scenes with strong content unsuitable for little children. It opens nationwide in theaters May 31, 2019.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
